Fresh Impetus for Matt Coating
(NPES International E-commerce Website, August 14, 2008) For a number of years there has been a sustained trend towards the use of matt coatings. There is no sign of this slackening and recently the performance of matt coatings has improved. Brand owners use matt effects to set their products apart from the competition and research and development by the manufacturers of matt coatings has led to clear quality improvements when matt coatings are used: they no longer foam and streaking is a thing of the past, They are available as water-based and UV coatings.
Water-based matt coatings need careful handling. The higher the degree of matt, the greater the risk of coating layer being polished, and the surface of the coating is also more sensitive to scratching. This is particularly the case with printed products with heavy ink coverage and dark areas. If the desired result is to be achieved it is vital to use chambered doctor blade systems with anilox rollers whose cells have a capacity of around 10 cm3/m2, It is the 'how' of the transfer that determines the quality of the matt coating. Very hard coating plates are less suitable for good transfer.
The gloss values of the various matt categories are as follows:
- Silk matt 20 to 30 gloss points
- Matt (standard) 15 to 20 gloss points
- Dull matt less than ten gloss points
These measurements should always be assessed in relation to the ink coverage.ĦĦMulti-sense packaging is another marked trend. In order to draw the attention of the final customer away from competing products on the shelves, brand owners are increasingly exploiting the tactile as well as the visual qualities of their packaging. To give just one example, the velvety surface and wet feel of the TerraĦĦwet matt coating G9/70 (dull matt) comes as a surprise. This combination results in what the manufacturer refers to as a 'gentle touch' when such products are picked up. |
